225625
228476
Penticton  

Block 300 restaurant, the former Elite, in Penticton sold

Block 300 restaurant sold

Just half a year after opening, Block 300 Steakhouse in downtown Penticton has been sold to new owners. 

The former Elite Restaurant was refurbished and renovated into the casual steakhouse by Fred Trainor, who purchased the property in November 2018. 

But problems plagued the new venture from the beginning, including staffing issues and turnover of chefs. 

"I found myself spending every day there. It's not what I do normally, and it's not what I had intended to do," Trainor said

This fall, a few offers from potential buyers started to come in, and Trainor found himself loving the idea. 

"I'm getting a little long in the tooth now and I'm starting to realize it's probably not best for me to work every day," he said. "

Those fell through, so Trainor pursued other buyers. A deal came through Tuesday, Jan. 7. 

"I decided, you know what, I'm going to go find somebody, because I think this is the right idea for me right now. So that's what I did," he said. 

He can't offer much information about the new owners, but says they are local and well-versed in the restaurant business. The plan is for Block 300 to continue to operate under Trainor until Jan. 31, and the new owners take over Feb. 1.

"When they will re-open I don't know, I think sooner rather than later," Trainor said, "But I don't know, I don't know that they are sure either. They have got a lot to do and a lot to learn, so when they are ready they will open up again."

While Trainor is happy to be stepping into retirement from the restaurant business, he says he and his wife will miss the "little family" that was their staff. 

"The core of our people who we hired full-time stayed with us, because we all had the same vision," Trainor explained. "But it just didn't fit with me, I can't say that I really thought of myself as a restauranteur, and I can't say that I particularly liked the job either."



More Penticton News

233021